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Monday, January 18, 2016

Climate Smart Manyatta

By Isaiah Esipisu

In a tiny village called
Eluai, in the heart of Maasai land in Kenya’s Narok County, Nkika Ole Mututua
and his family of ten children are living a city life in a Manyatta (Maasai or
Samburu traditional house).

Ole Mututua’s Manyatta the
traditional version, but it has been crafted to be climate friendly. The typical
manyattas are made of a particular type of sticks that bend when fresh and
harden as they dry without snapping.

The roof and walls are
made of a mixture of cow dung, ash, and earth found at the base of termite
hills. A traditional Manyatta has very poor ventilation with two or three small
holes serving as windows. The windows are made small to keep out wild animals.

This makes the inside
dark even during daytime forcing occupants to use kerosene tin lamps throughout
the day and night. The smoke from the lamps mixes with that which is produced
during cooking using firewood worsening the air inside the Manyatta.

Benefits of the climate-smart Manyatta

From a distance, Ole
Mututua’s Manyatta, looks exactly like a typical Manyatta, the climate smart
Manyatta also known as Eco-Manyatta is a permanent structure constructed using
interlocking brick blocks.

It is fitted with a solar
panel to produce electricity that illuminates the Manyatta at night while
serving other power needs such as charging of mobile phones. Children can therefore
study using solar energy instead of carbon emitting tin lamps.

The structure is well
ventilated and connected to a biogas digester that produces cooking gas from
cow dung. It is also is fitted with a 2000-litre water tank that harvests
rainwater.

The Eco Manyatta is
climate-friendly because no trees were used to construct it. In addition, if
millions of people in Africa who use trees to construct their houses would turn
to using the interlocking blocks, then billions of trees will be saved.

“We are also looking at a
bigger picture in terms of climate change mitigation,” said Sheila Boit, the
Project Manager for Eco Manyatta Housing Limited, which built Ole Mututua’s
house.

“If at all millions of
households in Africa, which currently use kerosene for lighting and firewood
for cooking would turn to solar for lighting and biogas for cooking, then we
will save the world of millions of litres of kerosene burned each year for
lighting, and save several tons of tree biomass used for cooking,” she said.

Kerosene produces black
carbon, which is known to be a very powerful absorber of sunlight, thus a
contributor to global warming. “It is a blessing for a Maasai woman like me,”
said Joyce Mututua’s wife. Under normal circumstances, it is the sole responsibility
of a Maasai wife to construct and maintain the Manyatta.

“Before this new Manyatta
was constructed, I used to wake up at night whenever it rained to ensure that
my husband did not get rained on as he slept,” said Joyce.

It has also saved her
from trekking several kilometers in search of water and firewood.

“I find it more
comfortable to do my evening studies using solar lamps,” said John Keko, Ole
Mututua’s nephew, a secondary school student at Olasiti Secondary School in
Narok.

Origin of the innovation

The Eco-Manyatta was a
dream of Sarah Tunai, the First Lady for Narok County, and her friends. The
initiative is supported by the United Kingdom Department for International
Development (DFID) in collaboration of the County Government of Narok together
with the International Labour organisation. The project is implemented by a
company known as Eco Manyatta Housing Limited.

According to Boit, Ole
Mututua’s Manyatta is a learning platform, now helping the company to better
understand how such structures can be improved at an affordable cost.

“We are working closely
with different architects with a view of making construction cost effective. We
are also working with financial institutions so that we can find a way where
locals can finance the construction by installments after selling livestock,”
said Ms. Boit.

Community members from
many parts of Narok stream to Ole Mututua’s compound to learn about the Eco
Manyatta.

“I think it is a very
good idea. Even though construction of Manyattas in our community is the duty
of a woman, I have been challenged and am willing to sell some goats to have my
Manyatta turned into an Eco Manyatta,” said Daudi Koekae, a friend to Ole
Mututua’s.

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